Corset.



No. 789,339. PATBNTED MAY 9, 1905.

T. F. SOMERS.

CORSET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.16,1905.

Wicmcooco Unirnn Patented May 9, 1905.

THOMAS F. SOMERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,339, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed January 16, 1905. $e1'ial No. 241,267.

To (ti/Z whmn it vii/my concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. Sonnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to corsets, and has for its object to provide an improved construction of the same whereby the corset is improved and is better adapted to meet the present re quirements of such articles; and to these ends my invention consists in a corset embodying various features of construction and arrange ment of parts cooperating together for the purposes and to produce the effects substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the outer face of one-half of a corset. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation of the inner face thereof, and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view.

In order to meet the present requirements of the art, a corset should be so constructed as to be capable of producing what is generally known as a straightfront effect to a greater or less extent, as well as to produce the pinched-in-waist effect; and it is one of the objects of my present invention to provide an improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby these effects may be practically produced and the construction of the corset be substantial and capable of withstanding the strain and of maintaining the desired form. It is well known that the greater strain upon a corset is in the region of the waist-line, where the corset necessarily fits more closely, while the upper and lower portions are subjected to relatively less strain. My improved construction provides for these contingencies, among others, and I will now describe the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

For convenience of identification each half of the corset may be assumed to be divided into several portions or sections, which I. will refer to as the front and rear longitudinal portions or sections and the side and back upper and lower transverse portions or sections, In this construction A represents the front longitudinal portion or section of the corset, which may be provided with the usual fastening means and which may be of greater or less width and may be said to include the bust portion A. This front longitudinal portion may be made of any desired number of pieces secured together and, as shown, is pro vidcd with a bias strip A, preferably extending from the top to the bottom of the corset and tending to not only strengthen but eonform this portion of the corset in the desired manner. The rear longitudinal portion B is provided with suitable stays and means for lacing and fastening the parts together and may be of any ordinary construction.

, Between the front and rear longitudinal portions or sections of the corset are the side and back upper and lower transverse portions or sections C and D, and these may be of any desired shape. The lower portion may be provided with suitable hip-gores D D or otherwise made to conform to the style and shape desired. The upper and lower trans verse portions are preferably separated from each other in the region of the waist-line and they are united by a transverse strengtheningsection E, which may be of any suitable shape, and preferably extends between the front and rear portions, as well as between the upper and lower portions. In actual construction I prefer to unite this transverse strengthening or stay strip to the other parts by folding the adjacent edges, as indicated, and stitching or otherwise securing them together. In this way the part of the corset on which is the greatest strain is so constructed as to best withstand that strain, the transverse strengthening or stay strip when connected to the other portions of the corset, substantially in the manner described, tending to accomplish this effect. Further, in order to emphasize or produce the pinch-in-waist effect, as well as to further strengthen this portion of the corset, 1 provide atightening-strip F, one end of which is preferably secured to some part of the front longitudinal portion, beingshown in the present instance as being attached near the edge of the bias strip A and the other end of which is free and extends to the rear of the corset, where it can be secured to the corresponding tighteningstrip by tying or by any other well-known securing means, and thereby the corset can be made to fit more closely at or near the waist-line and be better able to withstand strains, while permitting the upper and lower portions to fit more loosely. Some means should be provided for retaining the tightening-strips in place, and I have shown retaining-loops G, the ends of which may readily be secured in the scams or stitching uniting the upper and lower transverse portions with the transverse strengthening or stay strips, as best shown in Fig. 3.

Of course the corset may be provided with the usual stays or bones, which maybe attached and secured in any suitable way, in thepresentinstance they beingheld in pockets, formed by strips H, secured to the body portions of the corset.

With this construction it will be evident that the present requirements of the art can be readily met, and it will further be seen that the construction produces a strong substantial garment which is strengthened in the parts most needing strength and which can be readily adjusted to suit the requirements of the user.

nected to a longitudinal portion and extending over the strengthening-strip, substantially as described.

2. A corset having longitudinal front and rear portions, transverse upper and lower portions interposed between them, a transverse strengthening strip uniting the upper and lower portions, a tightening-strip connected to a longitudinal portion and retaining-loops, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sul scribing witnesses.

THOMAS F. SOMERS.

lVitnesses:

JOHN E. MOONEY, GEORGE W GEEK, Jr. 

